Navigation device for a land-bound vehicle

ABSTRACT

A navigation device for a land-based vehicle is used to support the driver in navigating. The navigation device includes a processor ( 1 ), a signal processing means ( 2 ), an acoustical and optical display ( 3 ), an input device ( 4 ), a memory ( 5 ), a transceiver ( 6 ), an antenna ( 7 ), an image processing means ( 8 ), a camera ( 9 ), a sensor system ( 10 ), and a locating device ( 11 ). The navigation device according to the invention allows a switchover between a two-dimensional and a perspective display, and it allows a free choice of the point of view for the perspective display.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on a navigation device for land-based vehicles.

It is already known that navigation devices with a perspective displayof the region where a land-based vehicle is located are available. Auser inputs a route, and then during the trip the user is guided by thenavigation device, with both optical and acoustical guidance beingpossible. By means of a locating device with which the navigation deviceis connected, the location of the vehicle is ascertained. The user canchange his route during the trip and can input this at the navigationdevice. Scenes to be displayed are stored in memory in the navigationdevice in a format determined by the manufacturer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The navigation device of the invention for a land-based vehicle has theadvantage over the prior art that a choice is offered to the userbetween a two-dimensional and a perspective display, so that the usercan advantageously choose a type of display suited to his needs.

It is also advantageous that the user can choose an arbitrary point ofview in the display, so that he himself advantageously determines whatobjects will be located in his field of view.

It is furthermore advantageous that the scene to be displayed is puttogether from objects, so that updating of the objects, such as aconstruction site or new buildings, is realized in a simple way.

It is also advantageous that the user calls up items of informationlinked with the individual objects, so that he advantageously receivesinformation important to him quickly and simply. The user thus gains amajor advantage in terms of time.

By the provisions recited in the dependent claims, advantageousrefinements of and improvements to the navigation device for aland-based vehicle defined by the independent claim are possible.

It is especially advantageous that by marking of objects on the part ofthe user, items of additional information for these objects can becalled up on the optical display. This enables the user to call upmore-extensive information on these objects, for instance informationabout a sight worth seeing.

An advantageous refinement is that the objects in the optical displayare linked with communication means, so that messages can be sent fromthe user to persons who are linked with these objects by means of anaddress. This makes it possible for instance to get into contact quicklywith service providers at a certain location.

It is also advantageous that the user optically views any predeterminedroute by means of the navigation device without having to drive theroute itself, so that in a simple way he simulates a possible trip. Thisleads to optimizing of route planning for a user. With such asimulation, it is furthermore possible to make a first image of certainlocal features and to remember prominent objects.

It is also advantageous that the navigation device is connected to arecognition device for objects, so that by means of this recognitiondevice, objects in front of a vehicle can be detected and then comparedby the navigation device with objects for this location stored inmemory, making it possible then to update the object-oriented display ofthe navigation device.

In an advantageous refinement, the navigation device is connected to atransceiver for sending and receiving wireless signals. This makes itpossible to receive information, such as audio or video data, by meansof this transceiver so that the information can then be displayed by thenavigation device. Thus an enormous quantity of additional informationfor the display of the navigation device is available.

It is furthermore advantageous that the navigation device is connectedto a sensor system of the land-based vehicle, so that the navigationdevice receives data about the vehicle and then displays these data forthe user. This makes it possible to give the user warning signals aboutthe status of his vehicle, if necessary, by means of the navigationdevice.

It is also advantageous that the navigation device displays the range ofthe land-based vehicle with the energy reserves still available. Thisenables the user to plan the energy consumption of the land-basedvehicle efficiently.

It is also advantageous that the data administered and received by thenavigation device, that is, data signals, audio signals or videosignals, are administered the MPEG4 format. This well known codingstandard for multimedia data enables the navigation device to accessmany data sources without having to reformat the data. In particular,this facilitates communication with data sources remote from theland-based vehicle.

It is also advantageous that the optical display of the navigationdevice is made simpler as the speed of the land-based vehicle increases,to make it easier for the driver to concentrate. Also, there is thenless to distract the driver from the traffic.

In an advantageous refinement of the invention, the user providesspecifications for how precisely the objects on the optical display ofthe navigation device will be shown This leaves it to the user whatprecision he demands from the display on the navigation device. If theuser chooses a simpler display, with fewer details, the result is afaster display, as appropriate for high-speed driving; in actuality, theuser does not precisely recognize the objects themselves, nor should hebe distracted by a precise display.

It is furthermore advantageous that the user is provided with additionalindications by the navigation device that are incorporated into theoptical display, so that he can more easily reach his destination. Thismakes it possible for the user, with the aid of the navigation device ofthe invention, to reach his goal safely even if visibility is poor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawing anddescribed in further detail in the ensuing description.

FIG. 1 shows a navigation device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Navigation devices are used for graphically and acoustically reinforcedroute guidance; it is helpful if the display on a monitor of thenavigation device reflects reality as precisely as possible for a userdriving a land-based vehicle. This makes it easier to recognize anactual scene. Acoustical indications by the navigation device alsoprovide better guidance of the user to his destination.

In FIG. 1, a navigation device according to the invention is shown. Thenavigation device has a processor 1. Via a first input/output, theprocessor is connected to a signal processing means 2. The signalprocessing means 2 prepares the data, which are transmitted by theprocessor 1 to the signal processing means 2, for display using theoptical and acoustical display 3 connected to the signal processingmeans 2, so that the data can then be shown by means of the optical andacoustical display 3. To that end, the signal processing means 2converts the data arriving from the processor 1 into signals suitablefor the optical and acoustical display 3. The optical and acousticaldisplay 3 has a monitor for the optical display and a speaker for theacoustical display. The signal processing means 2 can alternatively beintegrated with the processor 1. A separation of the processor 1 and thesignal processing means 2 as presented here puts less of a burden on theprocessor 1, making the processor 1 available for other tasks as well.

Via a second input/output, the processor 1 is connected to a memory 5.This memory 5 has the data with which the acoustical and optical displayis reached. The processor 1 calls up the necessary data from the memory5 for a certain region, so that it can produce a perspective display ora two-dimensional display, for instance. Besides these data, the memory5 also contains optical data that encode acoustical signals. Theseacoustical signals serve to provide acoustical indications to the userduring a trip.

Via a first data input, the processor 1 is connected to a locatingdevice 11, which for example is a GPS (Global Positioning System)receiver. As coordinates, the locating device 11 furnishes the locationof the land-based vehicle to the processor 1, because the locatingdevice 11 is part of the navigation device of the invention and is builtin directly beside the other elements of the navigation device, such asthe processor 1, so that the location of the locating device 11 is thesame as the location of the navigation device. The processor 1 then hasongoing information about the current location of the land-basedvehicle.

Via a third input/output, the processor is connected to a transceiver 6for sending and receiving wireless signals. An antenna 7 is connected tothe transceiver 6 via an input/output. By means of the antenna 7 and thetransceiver 6, wireless signals are received that contain data, such asaudio or video data, that are then sent on to the processor 1. Thetransceiver 6 converts the received wireless signals into a digital datastream. A receiving part of the transceiver 6 is a DAB (Digital AudioBroadcasting) radio receiver, by way of which multimedia data for thedisplay on the navigation device are received in a simple way.

DAB is a digital radio transmission method that has a frame structure,which permits transmitting data in various sizes; these data have audio,video or text data. The frames are evaluated by the DAB receiver, andthe data that have the frames are then used by means of the navigationdevice to play back a brief video sequence, for instance displaying therooms of a hotel.

DAB was designed especially for mobile reception of broadcast signals,making DAB suitable for the reception of multimedia data by a land-basedvehicle, and a DAB receiver is generally procured predominantly forbroadcast radio reception. If there is already a DAB receiver in theland-based vehicle, then the navigation device of the invention isconnected to this DAB receiver, so that the DAB receiver is used as thereceiver part of the transceiver 6. The transmitter part of thetransceiver 6 is then either remote from the navigation device or iscontained in the navigation device.

A data service provider for navigation devices receives its data bymeans of DAB; such a data service provider can also be a hotel that isoffering its services. An access authorization for these data isintegrated into the navigation device of the invention in the form of akey for deciphering the received data, but it can also be provided thatthe data remain unenciphered, since the data can be received only by asuitably equipped navigation device.

Besides DAB, other known digital broadcasting methods such as DVB(Digital Video Broadcasting) and DRM (Digital Radio Mondial) offer thecapability of transmitting multimedia data. DVB and DRM differ from DABfor instance in the frame structure, the transmission frequency range,and the transmission bandwidth.

A transmitter part of the transceiver 6 is a GSM (Global System forMobile Communication) transmitter station, with which other data aretransmitted in a simple way along with speech signals. The GSMtransmitter station is either a unit remote from the navigation deviceof the invention, connected for example to the DAB receiver, or anelement of the navigation device itself.

GSM is a standard used worldwide for digital wireless mobilecommunications. Since GSM was designed especially for mobilecommunications, GSM is suitable for operation in a land-based vehicle.Besides GSM, all other mobile radio standards, such as UMTS (UniversalMobile Communication System) are suitable as transmission methods forthe transmitter part of the transceiver 6.

Besides GSM, expansions of the GSM standard are also suitable for thispurpose. These include GSM+ and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service);what is essential in this respect is that GPRS in particular transmitsthe data in packets.

The processor 1 will also forward data to the transceiver 6 that arethen sent as wireless signals by means of the antenna 7. For instance,an e-mail can be sent by the user to a hotel, which has been marked asan object on the optical and acoustical display 3, in order to askwhether a room can be reserved. As received data, an example isinformation from a theater about its schedule of performances or from asupermarket about special offers at the time. This information is thenshown in multimedia fashion (image, sound, text and video) by means ofthe navigation device.

Via a second data input, the processor 1 is connected to an input device4. This input device 4 is embodied as a keyboard. However, it can alsobe a touch screen, that is, a screen in which inputs are made bytouching the screen, or a mouse or can be achieved simply by means ofspeech input. The input device 4 has a signal processing means forconverting user inputs into electrical signals, because the user oftenmakes the inputs at the input device 4 by means of mechanical signals,such as pressing a key, or by speech signals.

By means of the input device 4, the user indicates his route, and thesedata are then forwarded to the processor 1 so that the processor 1 thencalls up the appropriate data from the memory 5 to forward those datathen to the signal processing means 2, so that they are displayed on theoptical and acoustical display 3.

The user is also in a position to mark certain objects on the opticaldisplay 3 using the input device 4; this marking is forwarded as a datumto the processor 1, so that the processor 1 associates the appropriateobject with this marking. Additional information connected to thisobject is called up by the processor 1 from the memory 5 or by thetransceiver 6 from an external data source. It is thus possible for anobject itself to broadcast such additional information by means ofwireless signals. For instance, a museum can broadcast its hours andimportant items on exhibition by means of wireless signals in the formof items of additional information by means of a DAB signal.

The user is also given the capability by means of the input device 4 ofchoosing the type of optical display. As display modes, the user has theperspective display and the two-dimensional display available. In thecase of the perspective display, the user is also free to choose anyarbitrary point of view.

Once the user has indicated a route by means of the input device 4, itis possible for him to view a simulation of this route by means of theoptical and acoustical display 3. If the user has chosen the simulationby means of the input device 4, the processor 1 calls up the appropriatedata from the memory 5, so that it can display the route on the opticaland acoustical display 3. The user is also free to choose the timefactor with which the route is shown on the optical and acousticaldisplay 3.

The user can therefore view the simulated travel of the route fasterthan in real time, using a time compressor. Routes that cannot even betraveled with a land-based vehicle can be set as well. The prerequisiteis that the necessary data be on hand in the memory 5, or that the datacan be called up from external data sources using the transceiver 6.

Via a third data input, the processor 1 is connected to a signalprocessing means for image recognition, which in turn is connected viaan input/output to a camera 9. The camera 9 is placed on the land-basedvehicle in such a way that the view to the front of the vehicle can beobserved by this camera. Angles can also be set with regard to theazimuth angle and elevation angle. Actuators are provided on the camera9 that allow this change of angle. An example of such actuators areelectric motors.

The camera 9 is also embodied as a night vision device. To that end, thecamera 9 has an infrared or residual-light-amplifying receiver. Softwarefor image recognition is found in the signal processing means 8. For animage that the camera 9 has taken, the individual objects are analyzedand associated with certain objects. These data are then forward to theprocessor 1 by the signal processing means 8. The processor 1 thencompares these data, which are associated with the recognized objects,with object data that are stored in the memory 5. Furthermore, theprocessor 1 compares only these object data from the memory 5 that areused at the moment for the display. If the objects match, then theoptical display 3 is preserved unchanged; if there is any discrepancy,then the objects are inserted into the optical display 3 in accordancewith the coordinates at which the camera 9 took the picture of thoseobjects and as applicable replace obsolete objects, that is, objectsthat are no longer present.

One example of this is when a traffic light changes from red to yellow,so that this change is also duplicated in the optical and acousticaldisplay 3. To that end, the camera 9 detects that the light is changingfrom red to yellow; now the object is the traffic light, which haschanged to yellow and is recognized by the signal processing means 8 bymeans of image processing software. This is forwarded to the processor 1by the signal processing means 8. The processor 1 compares it with thelight displayed at the moment, which is showing red, and recognizes thediscrepancy and uses the new object, or in other words the light nowshowing yellow that the camera 9 has taken a picture of, for the displayshown on the optical display 3.

Via a fourth data input of the processor 1, a sensor system 10 of theland-based vehicle is connected. The sensor system 10 furnishesmeasurement data from the land-based vehicle to the processor 1.Examples of such data are the fuel reserve, or energy reserve in thecase of a battery-operated vehicle, the tire pressure, the insidetemperature, the oil level, and the coolant temperature, and these dataare forwarded to the processor 1. The processor 1 puts these measurementdata on the optical and acoustical display 3 by means of the signalprocessing means 2, so that the user is informed of critical valuespertaining to his land-based vehicle. The incorporation is done as afunction of preset warning values for the various sensor values. Forexample if the fuel level is measured as being below a predeterminedvalue, then via the optical and acoustical display 3, the user is warnedthat the tank needs refilling.

In the case of a preset two-dimensional display of the current region,the processor 1 also shows a radius, which indicates how far theland-based vehicle can still travel with the existing fuel reserves.Service stations are visually emphasized on the display. This emphasisis done for instance by means of a color that is clearly distinguishedfrom the rest of the display, or by blinking, or by arrows that point tothe service stations.

The data that the processor 1 uses for the display are set up as MPEG4files. MPEG4 is a known, widespread standard for multimedia data anddata streams, with which audio, video and text data files can beencoded. That is, MPEG4 means source coding, or in other words in thesource coding a data reduction takes place, in that redundant data areremoved from the original data to reduce the data size.

The processor 1 takes the MPEG4 files from the memory 5 and decodesthese files, so that they can then be shown by means of the signalprocessing means 2 and the optical and acoustical display 3. Inparticular, text files are also available, which describe the sceneshown and which define which objects are shown in the scene.

MPEG4 files and/or MPEG4 data streams are also called up from externaldata sources by means of the transceiver 6. Since MPEG4 is a widelyrespected standard, compatibility with data service providers is easilyachieved. For instance, it is possible to receive audio and video datastreams, encoded as MPEG4 data streams, about an event by means of thetransceiver 6 and to decode them by means of the processor 1 and showthem on the acoustical and optical display 3.

This involves text data files, which in particular include a scene thatis to be displayed. Then by means of the text files and the object filesand optionally object data streams, the processor 1 generates the scenewhich is then shown by means of the signal processing means 2 and theacoustical and optical display 3. The object files and object datastreams are either in the form of MPEG4 files or MPEG4 data streams orin the form of MPEG4-compatible data, which are then converted as neededinto MPEG4 data by a real-time translator, which runs in the processor1, so that the scene can be displayed.

A traffic light has been described here as an object. The traffic lightis still linked with the display for a red, yellow and green light.Depending on the event, one or the other linkage with the display isemployed.

The objects are also connected to a file of coordinates; that is, as afunction of the location of the land-based vehicle, the processor 1calls up the objects specified for these coordinates in the coordinatefile, so that these objects can be displayed. From the sensor system(10) of the land-based vehicle, the processor 1 receives data about thespeed of the vehicle. This puts the processor 1 in a position to adaptthe precision of the optical display of the navigation device to thespeed. At high speeds, which are defined by the exceeding of apredetermined speed value, the optical display is made simpler, becauseon the one hand the user must concentrate more on the traffic, and onthe other, because of his speed, the user no longer fully perceives theactual objects.

By comparison of the current speed with a curve stored in memory in thenavigation device, which associates a speed with the precision of theoptical display, the precision of the optical display can be adaptedprecisely to the current speed value.

The optical and acoustical display is displayed by the optical andacoustical display in accordance with predetermined parameters, whichthe user inputs by means of the input device 4. For instance, the userspecifies what details should be shown, that is, only traffic signs androads and streets, and arbitrary display specifications are madepossible. Furthermore, the user can determine whether acousticalindications are to be made or not.

On the monitor, along with the reality being simulated, the navigationdevice incorporates additional artificial objects, such as pointerarrows.

What is claimed is:
 1. A navigation device for a land-based vehicle,comprising: a processor (1), wherein the processor (1) ascertains thelocation of the land-based vehicle by means of a locating device (11),the navigation device having means (3) for acoustical and opticaldisplay, wherein the means (3) for acoustical and optical display showsa region in which the land-based vehicle is located, and wherein a userinforms the navigation device of a route by means of an input device(4), and the user adapts the user-selected route on the navigationdevice during the trip, wherein the means (3) for acoustical and opticaldisplay shows the region in perspective, wherein the means (3) foracoustical and optical display assembles a scene to be from objects,wherein the displayed scene is composed of a multitude of objects,wherein the processor (1) links the objects with items of additionalinformation, said items of additional information being displayed usingmore than one type of medium, wherein the user, by means of the inputdevice (4), calls up the linked items of additional information for theobjects, wherein by means of the input device on the navigation device,the user chooses between a two-dimensional display and a perspectivedisplay, wherein by means of the input device (4) on the navigationdevice, the user selects an arbitrary point of view for the perspectivedisplay of the route, and wherein by marking the objects using the inputdevice (4), the user calls up items of additional information for themarked objects, wherein the processor (1) administers the objects, thevideo and audio data, and the additional information in the form ofMPEG4 files.
 2. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the processor(1) links the objects with communication means, so that by means of thecommunication means, the user sends messages to addressees that arelinked with the marked objects.
 3. The navigation device of claim 1,wherein the user views a user-selected route by means of the display onthe navigation device with an adjustable scheduled time to reach adestination.
 4. The navigation device of claim 1, wherein the processor(1) is connected to a recognition device (9) for objects, wherein therecognition device (9) informs the processor (1) of the detected objectsfor a location, and wherein the processor (1) compares the detectedobject with an object which the navigation device has stored for thislocation in a memory (5), so that the navigation device updates theoptical display of the user-selected route using current objects, if thedetected object differs from the object stored in memory.
 5. Thenavigation device of claim 1, wherein the processor (1) is connected toa transceiver (6) for sending and receiving wireless signals, so that bymeans of the transceiver (6), the navigation device receives, processesand displays audio data and video signals.
 6. The navigation device ofclaim 1, wherein the processor (1) receives from the land-based vehiclethe status of the land-based vehicle and displays it for the user. 7.The navigation device of claim 6, wherein the navigation device, in atwo-dimensIonal display, displays a current range of the land-basedvehicle from the current location where the land-based vehicle islocated.
 8. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein as the speed ofthe land-based vehicle increases, the processor (1) makes the opticaldisplay simpler.
 9. The navigation system of claim 1, wherein thenavigation device displays the objects optically in accordance withpredetermined settings.
 10. The navigation system of claim 1, whereinthe navigation device incorporates additional indications into theregion displayed by the means for optical display.